Efforts to conclude within the year the transfer of ancient Korean books taken from the Korean Peninsula by Japan under colonial rule have failed.

Japan’s Kyodo News said Thursday that the Japanese government decided to abandon efforts to ratify an agreement on the transfer to South Korea of ancient Korean books, including a record of royal ceremonies and rituals called the “Joseon Wangsil Uigwe.”

The Japanese Cabinet and the ruling Democratic Party (DP) in Tokyo sought support from opposition camps on getting the accord ratified by Friday when the extra session period ends. However, the Liberal Democratic Party rejected the ratification of the accord in protest of the DP’s refusal to extend the extra session period.

As a result, the matter of returning the books will be addressed during next year's regular session.

Japanese Prime Minister Naoto Kan said in a statement in August that Tokyo will soon return ancient books and cultural assets that his country took from the Korean Peninsula during the colonial period. On November 14th, the Japanese government signed an accord with Seoul on the return of the texts.